For 50 years, the Society for Corporate History (GUG) e.V. has been dedicated to the research, dissemination, and discussion of corporate history. The GUG was founded in Cologne on June 10, 1976, by scholars, corporate representatives, and the German Economic Institute. Their shared goal: to highlight the significance of corporate history and to strengthen the exchange between academia, business, and archival practice.

Our core mission has remained the same to this day, even as our methods, formats, target audiences, and network have evolved. We always understand business history in the broadest sense: we examine, discuss, and communicate not only the historical developments of stock corporations, limited liability companies (GmbHs), and other corporate forms, but also the history of institutions, associations, and organizations.

We are celebrating our 50th anniversary with a year of events as diverse as our research topics and our network of members, staff, and partners. From different perspectives, in various formats, and at multiple locations, we look back on five decades of GUG, showcase what defines us today—and look toward the future. Here’s what you can expect:

To mark our 50th anniversary, we are returning to our founding location: On June 11, 2026, we will celebrate at the German Economic Institute (IW) in Cologne. Under the theme “Business History Matters,” we will discuss key issues of our time—globalization and geopolitics, political risk and populism, as well as the environment and climate. The conference brings together historical research, economic expertise, business perspectives, and political analysis. It demonstrates why corporate history is more relevant today than ever before.

The conference programme
Pressemitteilung 50 Jahre GUG

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Longtime companions, partners, and association and committee members share their thoughts and offer personal insights. The magazine will be published in conjunction with the anniversary conference in June 2026.

In this anniversary year, we are launching the digital portal “Corporate History Online”:

https://unternehmensgeschichte-online.org/

This virtual handbook of corporate history is created by experts in the field and offers a freely accessible, continuously growing reference work on corporate history that is reliable and brings together the latest research. It is aimed at anyone engaged with corporate history—whether academically, professionally, or personally—and, for the first time, creates a central, digital hub for the field.

In keeping with the anniversary, two colleagues from Copenhagen Business School shed light on the state of the field in Germany (Alfred Reckendrees) and the integration of corporate history topics into the curriculum of business schools (Christina Lubinski).

For ZUG 1 (2026), Professor Harold James, Chair of European Studies at the Princeton School of Public & International Affairs, has written a seminal article on the development of the field of business history. Under the guiding question “What does it mean to research business history—and why do we do it?”, he uses recent global developments in economics, politics, and society to illustrate which topics will be relevant to the field in the future.

This provides a variety of independent scholarly perspectives on business history—and thus also on the GUG—in time for the anniversary.

ZUG 1 (2026)